Hello Zimmermann,
According the Cnet review I read that system only has a 250 watt power supply.
Dunno those numbers seem kindas low (watts) but I don't really know about nividia cards anymore...I got a x1800xt a few months back, and it recommends 450watts on the box which was total BS..it underpowered the system destroying ithe card /mobo..So I got a 550watt same thing but only the mobo got damaged..Then I went to the Sapphire tech forums and asked around about my problem it turns out that the 450watts suggested for the power supply is for the 12v rail only so..I'd actually need a psu closer to 600watts. Both nvidia an ati do this intentionally so you will spend money on their cards first and not a psu..So long story short I coughed up the 200 bucks american and got the Enermax Liberty 620awt (620watt) and everything is fine and it will alow me to upgrade into the future as it has enough power to run 2 x1950xt's in crossfire and then some.
The golden rule I learned about psu and new vid cards is watts mean absoultly nothing anymore, so dont bother looking at them instead look at the amps on the 12v rail...For a single card (pci-e) that draws power from the psu not the mobo 25-30 amps should do it, for two cards you'd need 35-40amps on the 12v rail... The power supplies that have multi 12v rails are a bit trickier, you'd have to look to see if all the 12v rails pull from the same amperage or if each has its own rating, but about 40 amps on the 12v should do any normal gamer for any configuration of current cards sli or crossfire, and other top end components. This info may not aply to the 8800 though as I don't know its power specs, but I can say 100% that 40 amps will do ya for any config upto 2 x1950xt's in crossfire..
As far as a choice of a card im biased twards ati now but I was a long time user of nvidia. I went from a nvidia 5500oc (10 fps in MxO maxed settings) to the x1800xt (30 fps in MxO maxed settings). What you should remember is that the newer cards are VERY dependant on your CPU..I got a crappy one, a amd 3200 2.1ghz single core..This explains my low fps with this beautiful card...If I were to upgrade to the top of the line I'm sure I'd pull down 80 easy..
Vedren brings up some good points about the CPU also having an effect on your video card performance.
One thing I do have to point out, don't worry about Crossfire or SLI , I am pretty sure your system is not set up for it.
Ok here is a pick of what I mean..the box halfway down the page..there will be a sticker on the power supply just like this...This is the psu I have..
http://3btech.net/enli620wa24p.html
As you can see it has 2 12v rails. (rated 22amps each maximum pull)
Below that you see their combined watts and amps 432watts 36amps (which means if one pulls the full 22 that leaves only something like 14 amps for the other to work with)
If your gonna use only 1 video card just make sure where this one says 432watts /36 amps that yours says atleast 30amps.
Sorry for making this harder than what it was.
Honestly that whole thing that Vedren said really confused me ... maybe i should just have my dad call this Computer Tech. he knows and maybe the guy can help me out...
Don't worry about it, we all have varying levels of experience, Vedren just has a bit more than you is all (and for that matter he may have built more systems than I have).
That being said you regardless of anything anyone here suggests you use, you should have a qualified technician do the actual work, the way I always look at it, if you make a mistake and damage your computer all you can do is curse, but if a qualified technician makes a mistake you can get redressed for it.
Firstly I would like to start by saying listen to what TSRBradG said, get your upgrade done by a qualified tech who can replace stuff if he has an accident.
Now to answer your questions:
What is the best video card for MxO? The nVidia 7950GX2 is the best because the 8xxx series cards are buggy as anything (lots of problems with lots of games and overall performance is well short of what it should be) and the GX2 beats any single ATI card hands-down on speed (because it's actually 2 cards). For the best performance you should also pair it up with 2GB of system RAM.
What card should I get? As you have a 4x AGP slot on your motherboard your options are severely limited. The 7950 GX2 does not come in AGP, it is PCIe only. All AGP 8x cards are 4x compatible but can't reap the benefits of the higher data transfer speeds used by 8x cards. So any new AGP card should be fine but you should look at upgrading your motherboard in the future if you intend to play the latest games. (I wouldn't stress about it, most bleeding edge hardware and games seem to be cutting themselves on their own bright ideas, eg: the 8xxx series nVidia cards). Both ATI and nVidia AGP cards will suit your needs but the nVidia 9800GS is pretty much the fastest AGP card you will be able to run (the speed will probably knock your socks off compared to the one that died).
Any other suggestions? Like has been said already, get a newer power supply. The power supply is the box inside your computer that converts from mains AC electricity, into the +-12v, +-5v your computer needs to run. it has the red-yellow-black-white wires coming out of it. I would recommend getting at least a 550W to 600W Power Supply (prefferably a Thermaltake brand one as they are pretty much designed for gamers, with a big fan for moving heat out of your case, multiple 12v power rails for better power loading, wrapped cables for better case airflow, rubber case mounts to reduce noise, and all the right attachments for SATA and ATA Harddrives, AGP and PCIe video cards.)
Also as we are talking electricity in potentially fatal amounts, above all be careful and unplug your computer before poking around inside.
Hello phi,
Thanks for the assist.
